Indeed, the guy who brought you the football stadium is now an outspoken advocate for Sound Transit, at least judging from the amount of time his lobbyists have spent talking to the King County Council lately. (The county council is currently debating a regional transportation package that could give Sound Transit $1.2 billion.)
The reason for Allen's interest in Sound Transit is obvious. One of the proposals for pushing light rail north is an Eastlake Avenue route that would send the train through the heart of South Lake Union--where Allen has amassed properties already worth an estimated $120 to $150 million. A public transit line running from Convention Place north toward South Lake Union would surely amp up Allen's property values. Look for Allen to dump serious cash into promoting the billion-dollar-plus "Sound Transit" regional transportation package to send light rail north. (Indeed, Allen has already downloaded $50,000 to the Yes on Referendum 51 campaign, the statewide transportation initiative that's supposed to work in concert with the pending Sound Transit plan. Allen's $50K is twice what the Asphalt Pavers' Association of Washington--which loves the road-heavy package--donated.)
The first clue that Allen has a keen interest in backing Sound Transit came on June 4, when Allen lobbyist Dan McGrady spoke in support of Sound Transit's bus tunnel transfer deal at a King County Council Transportation Committee meeting. McGrady said the tunnel agreement would pave the way for light rail construction. (It would also pave the way to South Lake Allen.)
The next clue came on June 12, when Allen's lobbyists were back at the county council, although this time not as publicly. A duo of Allen lobbyists reportedly returned to pigeonhole council members on the upcoming tunnel vote and the regional plan. McGrady did not return our call.
